….with Tara DeMaris

Precious Gifts from God

Our oldest daughter and her husband have recently moved to Iowa after ministering in Kenya Africa, and most recently in Amman Jordan. It is the joy of my heart to drive my car six hours and come to rest in their Iowa driveway. They are newly attending a church and while there we were invited to the Starting Point Café: hosted by the church, providing an opportunity for new and visiting people to feel welcome. Sitting at a table with two young single parents, I began a conversation, discovering they were new friends with five children under nine between them. These “single parents of courage” had packed up their children, belongings and driven from a very dangerous part of Chicago to Iowa to better themselves and their children. Listening to them I was struck by the courage that took, and the intense love they had for their children. I won’t forget these souls; one growing stronger in the Lord, the other rekindling her love of Jesus. King David wrote in Psalm 56:3-4 “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me”? This from a king! Surely these young parents were fearful: strangers to Iowa, the city, no connections, little money but somewhere deep in their heart their knowledge of God and His gifts of love and courage guided them.

God’s Gift of Courage ~

Am I Courageous? ~ Can I say this? Am I spending time in God’s Word; cultivating my relationship with Him? Have I the courage to do what God leads me to do?”

Look at what God has been teaching me about courage and strength that you can soak up from His Living Word. Remember David and Goliath? Jon Bloom writes “David’s courage was a derivative virtue. It was being empowered by something else. What fueled David’s courage was his confidence in God’s promises and God’s power to fulfill them.” I encourage you to read Psalm 57 then focus on verses 7, 8, and you will become aware that “David was not self-confident; he was God-confident.” I was totally wordless for a minute, God-confident! I went on to read “Courage is always produced by faith.” Over and over I read these words of David asking myself if I have faith and full confidence in my God to claim these words from my own heart. I concluded that this is what I want to be able to say but I seem to forget the confidence that is available to me through my Lord and Savior Jesus.

Oh precious Father I pray that throughout each day my faith will be strengthened producing a God-confident awareness within my soul.

Nancy Bjorklund

Nancy visits the Titus II Ministry blog throughout the year with inspiration and poetic writing. She lives in Nebraska with her husband, Bob, and they are the parents to four grown children as well grandparents and great-grandparents. She holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Nebraska in education. Her much loved verse comes from Proverbs 3:5 and 6, “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths”.